Pilot Proficiency

What pilot wouldn’t want to own an Eclipse or Cirrus Vision SJ50? And who among us hasn’t lusted after a panoramic synthetic vision panel? But as all these innovative airplanes and avionics move the top end of the ownership “wow” curve upward, those of us with older, lower-tech airplanes are watching our market values diminish […]

Aircraft tires often don’t get the attention they deserve. They can be tough to inspect during preflight, especially if well concealed by wheelpants. Because they hold relatively low volumes of air compared with automotive tires, they are more prone to changes in pressure brought on by temperature changes in the ambient air. That’s less of […]

With the coming long holiday weekend, and summer flying in general, it’s a safe bet that the amount of over-water flying increases manifold. The risk of a water landing is remote, but engines do fail. So it’s worth investing the thought ahead of time to scope out what you’d do … IF. And don’t discount […]

When we landed after our first trip from New Jersey to visit family in Kentucky, the first thing my wife, Leslie, did was hitch a ride to the local dollar store. She spent close to $50 on an arsenal of airplane-friendly toys to ensure our then-four-year-old twin boys would be well occupied on the trip […]

Most life insurance agents are not familiar with pilots and exactly how much added risk might be involved in the type of flying they do. And the “aviation form” you filled out from the carrier might also be out of date and not ask all the right questions. That could leave you paying more for […]

It has been said that weather forecasting is part science, part intuition and a large part memory. That’s why computer forecasting is such a boon to pilots. Even the best forecasters from pre-cyber days had only human memories to rely on. Today, computer databases recall all the nuances of temperature, dew point and winds aloft […]

Some things never change, and the danger of flying into the wrong thunderstorm is one of those things. In Bob Buck’s superb 2002 memoir, North Star Over My Shoulder, the veteran pilot recalled flying a B-17 Flying Fortress all over the globe seeking out convective activity and performing research for the military on thunderstorms and […]

Safety in flying is all about having alternatives. Each trip may offer several different possible routes and a variety of alternates. The departure time and sometimes even the date of departure can be changed if necessary. Once en route, the present and forecast conditions must be analyzed to determine which of various alternatives offer the […]

The best part of flying small airplanes is being able to use so many more airports than the airlines do. But if you need to visit an airport that has a mix of big jet and piston/turboprop traffic, it’s best to scope out your plan well in advance. Even non-airline airports that have intense heavy-iron […]

In the history of aviation there have been a number of aircraft that were considered dangerous, including the Learjet 20 series, the Aerostar and the Twin Comanche. More recently the airplane some people seem to love to hate is the Mitsubishi MU-2. There are numerous websites that detail what the authors consider to be the […]